Ryan Kingsley wasn't your average eighteen-year-old.
No, he was royalty. The only son of President-King Maxwell Kingsley, ruler of Aurum Heights, a glittering modern kingdom where money flowed like a never-ending chocolate fountain—and yes, everything was ridiculously gold-plated, including the toilet.
Ryan stood in the enormous bathroom of his family's penthouse, staring glumly into the gilded mirror above the marble sink. His reflection looked back with perfect hair, impeccable posture, and a face that had been kissed by a million photographers. But none of that helped when it came to one thing: love.
"Another rejection," Ryan sighed, swiping a single tear dramatically down his cheek as if he were performing for a royal tragedy. "Why do they all run away the moment they hear my last name?"
He glanced down at the golden toilet beneath his feet. It gleamed mockingly.
Ryan had just come from a disastrous breakfast confession to a girl who literally sprinted away, screaming, "I'm not dating a walking press conference!" His royal reputation had become a romantic curse.
"No more," he muttered, finally making the decision that would change his life forever.
Operation Runaway Royal
Packing was harder than he thought. How do you smuggle a crown jewel without attracting royal guards? Ryan hastily shoved five suits into a backpack, none matching but all very expensive. He added a carefully folded hoodie (a "commoner" disguise), some imported chocolates (in case he needed to bribe fate), and a crumpled sketch of a girl from a shampoo commercial, his "true love" inspiration.
He wrote a farewell note:
Dear Father,I am leaving to find true love—one not bought with gold or helicopters.Do not follow me. I'm serious.Love,Ryan (or Brian Normalman, for now)
Hiding behind his hoodie, Ryan tiptoed past the palace gates, trying not to trip over the security drones. One buzzed ominously.
"Sir Kingsley, unauthorized departure detected," it droned.
Ryan froze. "I'm… uh… just testing the invisible laser beams! Yes! Very scientific!" He bolted, nearly knocking over a royal gardener who looked as confused as Ryan felt.
Small Town, Big Dreams
Three hours later, Ryan arrived in Bakersfield Falls, population: unknown, charm: undeniable. He stepped off the train with nothing but a backpack, a fake name tag ("Brian Normalman"), and an optimism level suspiciously low for a prince.
His first stop: the only café in town, Brewed Awakening, a place where the coffee was strong, the manager was unpredictable, and the customers didn't care if you were royalty—or a disaster behind the espresso machine.
Inside, the manager—a fierce woman named Ashley, dressed in a raccoon beanie and an apron that read "I Do What I Want"—glared at him.
"You're here for a job or a breakdown?" she asked, arms crossed.
Ryan squared his shoulders. "I am Brian Normalman. I seek humble employment to support my quest for love."
Ashley blinked. "You're either insane or the world's worst liar. Welcome aboard. Start by mopping the floor before you drown the customers in your royal tears."
High School Heartbreak
Ryan's days quickly filled with awkward café shifts and even more awkward school lessons at Humble High, where the motto was Try not to explode anything.
On his first day, he introduced himself to the class as "Brian Normalman, aspiring romantic and coffee enthusiast," which earned him some puzzled looks and one kid asking if he was in a band.
But Ryan had only one focus: Hailey Carter.
Hailey was a tornado wrapped in a jean jacket and sarcasm. She laughed at his clumsy attempts to fit in but had a smile that made Ryan's royal heart skip beats.
"Hey, Brian," she said one afternoon while he nervously tried to pour a smoothie without spilling it everywhere. "If you want to impress me, start by not drowning the fruit."
Ryan grinned awkwardly. "Noted. Shall I compose a fruit salad sonnet?"
Hailey laughed. "Just don't quit your day job."
Love Lessons Begin
Determined, Ryan dove into romance books, practiced "cool" texting, and even attempted to serenade Hailey with a ukulele he'd borrowed from the music room.
The serenade? A spectacular disaster ending with a microphone cord tangling around his legs, a dramatic fall, and a cafeteria napkin explosion.
But Hailey clapped anyway.
"Not bad for a prince," she said with a teasing smile.
A New Beginning
That night, Ryan lay awake in his tiny rented room above the café, clutching a single rose he'd bought himself.
"She smiled," he whispered to the flower. "Maybe true love isn't about gold... maybe it's about goofy ukulele disasters."
Downstairs, Ashley yelled at the espresso machine like it owed her money, and a stray cat stole Ryan's sock.
Life in Bakersfield Falls was nothing like the palace.
And that was exactly how he wanted it.
TO BE CONTINUED